What To Expect From a Divorce Proceeding

Everyone marries with the hope of living happily ever after. Sometimes relationships break apart, and you're contemplating divorce. While no one wants to be an ex in any relationship, there may be no other option available.

Before you begin, consider obtaining the services of a competent attorney who specializes in family law, especially If you have children or large assets such as a home or business. The last thing you want is to lose visitation rights or a business you worked hard to build.

Here's how a divorce typically works.

File a Petition

Either you or your spouse must file a petition for divorce. The petition states where you live in order to meet the residency requirements of the state you live in and the grounds for your divorce.

Request Temporary Orders

It can take up to six months before your divorce is finalized, but you need to work out some details now, such as child support and court-ordered protection should you be in an abusive marriage. A judge can grant these.

Notify Your Spouse

It's your job to make sure your spouse gets notified of the divorce petition. That spouse must respond within a specified amount of time or receive a default judgment and face the risk of losing rights to children and property.

Negotiate a Settlement

If you haven't done it before, this is when you and your spouse work out the details as to who gets what and who will raise any children you have. During this time, the judge will, if necessary, make decrees such as ordering one of the plaintiffs to take online courses for anger management. If you're looking for such help, contact court ordered classes online for more information.

If negotiations fail, your divorce may have to go to trial. That could be problematic and expensive for you both. Work hard to settle your divorce peacefully.

Finalize the Divorce

Once the judge signs your petition, the case is finalized and your marriage is dissolved.

A divorce is a stressful time for you and everyone involved, especially your children. Spare those you love unnecessary trauma and grief by keeping things as amicable as possible. A fractious relationship is likely the reason you're obtaining a divorce, but remember this won't last forever. Speak politely to your spouse and try to keep the anger out of your tone. Common sense and courtesy are the keys to a peaceful divorce that's as painless as possible.

6 Major Causes of Divorce

Certain traits in a spouse or circumstances may force a couple to file for a divorce. When someone can no longer cope with their spouse, divorce becomes the best option. A couple may feel that they have given their marriage all they have, they may conclude to terminate their relationship. This creates the need to seek help from a family law attorney. The following are some of the major causes of divorce.

Finance Issues

When a couple disagrees about how they should manage their finances, terrible problems may arise. There are many divorce cases due to financial incompatibility among couples. Different financial objectives and spending habits and instances where a spouse earns more than the other may cause marriage breaking points. Additionally, different viewpoints on how much money each partner brings to the marriage may also lead to power struggles between spouses.

Lack of intimacy

Feeling unconnected with a partner can easily ruin a marriage, since someone feels like they are living with a stranger. This makes a couple seem more like roommates. However, lack of intimacy is not only about sex, but also lack of emotional and physical intimacy. Therefore, lack of intimacy is another cause of divorce in many marriages.

Generally, couples struggle with different sexual appetites and sex drives. This can destroy a relationship as the partners try to get their needs met. Additionally, at different life stages, sexual needs may vary. This may create a feeling of confusion and rejection. In recent times, ignorance of your partner’s sexual needs is a common cause of divorce.

Creating a special and intimate relationship is the responsibility of both partners. It would help if you practiced values such as appreciation, kindness, and enjoyed physical intimacy optimally to sweeten your relationship.

Lack of Communication

Communication is a vital element in marriage. Ineffective communication causes frustration and resentment in a relationship, hence negatively affecting all marriage aspects. Furthermore, good communication forms the basis of a solid and workable marriage. When two individuals share their lives, they should communicate effectively about their needs and understand and cater to their partner’s needs.

Furthermore, when a couple lacks communication, they may feel lonely and isolated and eventually stop caring for each other. This can cause the termination of the relationship. Although trying to practice mindful communication to change your previous marriage mistakes can be difficult, it’s a worthy action to improve and save your marriage. 

Unrealistic Expectations

It is common for someone to get married and have supercilious expectations, where they may expect the marriage to work in a particular way. These expectations can add a lot of strain on the other partner. Unrealistic expectations are one of the common causes of divorce.

Constant Arguing

Generally, arguments negatively affect a marriage relationship and the entire family. These arguments may be about kids or typical daily activities. Couples constantly argue about the same thing, since they feel they are not appreciated or heard. Many people find it hard to listen to another person’s point of view. This causes a lot of arguments without any form of solution.

Lack of Equality

Lack of equality is another cause of divorce. When one partner feels that they are more responsible in the marriage, it alters their views on the other partner, causing bitterness. Bitterness may signify the beginning of major problems in a marriage, which eventually lead to divorce.

A couple should negotiate through their unique and own set of challenges and look for solutions to deal with their issues before settling for a divorce. This creates a harmonious, joyful, and respectful relationship. However, there are some instances whereby divorce may be the best solution, especially in abusive marriages.